When I came to Penn State four years ago, I never had any intention of working. Going to school was much more important for me than having a job. Then one day for some reason I was looking at the Collegian and there was an advertisement for personal trainers. It was an opportunity to gain experience I didn’t want to pass up.
For the past 20 months I have made One on One a priority along side of classes at PSU. I have done this by choice, that hand in hand together they would prepare me for my future. I believe working at One on One provides me with a huge advantage that few students experience. Being a personal trainer allows you to work with a wide variety of people, as most careers in Kinesiology require. It also gives you the responsibility of being in control of another person’s routine in the professional world. My education from PSU gave me the foundation needed to begin as a trainer, but actually working here I have learned so much more, in the relatively short time I have been here. I have so much respect for the way Kym keeps One on One’s reputation so high. The learning never stops for any of the trainers. She demands that it doesn’t by having us attend conferences, watch videos and always learn from each other. The demands are tough and I don’t think this experience is for everybody, but I wouldn’t want to work with anybody not doing their best. I am proud of the interaction between all trainers and the cooperation. Working at One on One has allowed me to fulfill one of my dreams, which is to work with athletes. I have become much more knowledgeable on the subject with the help of other trainers and research. But the part of my job that I liked the best is coming in and knowing that I have five appointments in a row that include a fifth grader, a high school football player, a seventy year old former professor, a doctor in his forties and a motorcycle racer. I now know how to specifically prescribe exercise for anybody of any age, physical ability and differing goals and not just general exercise. I have decided to attend Physical Therapy school in the fall. There is no doubt in my mind that without One on One my decision would have been much easier. I wouldn’t have gotten into every top school I applied at. My experience was mentioned in every interview I went on. When I leave One on One I will miss the chance to be continuously learning new ways to do old things. But I will miss most the daily interaction between myself, the clients and the other trainers. Being a big part of other people’s lives when they might only see you for one hour per week is something. Looking back there isn’t a whole lot that I would change. For all the new trainers I would tell them to soak up as much from the time there and enjoy it as much as possible. It is the greatest learning facility I have been a part of and I want to thank everybody who made that possible and especially Kym, for taking a chance on me. Chris Nicholas |
Chris Nicholasoneonone2016-10-24T11:27:29-04:00